Last week, the U.S. Senate Committee that deals with education issues moved forward its changes to the Elementary & Secondary Education Act /ESEA (sometimes known as No Child Left Behind). NAEYC is very pleased that Senators Harkin and Enzi, the chair and ranking committee members, included in the base bill several items that had been in NAEYC’s recommendations and contained Senator Casey’s Continuum of Learning Act as well as Senator Murray’s literacy bill, LEARN. The bill maintains the longstanding option of allowing local school districts to use Title I for preschool and other services for children as young as birth, and for joint professional development and coordination with school systems. The next step is the full Senate floor. The timing for floor action has not been announced. We will keep you informed of developments.

Here are highlights of the bill as it moves from the Committee to the floor:

In Title I, the State Educational Agency has to consult with the State Early Care & Education Advisory Council on the development of its Title I plan. At the local level, school districts will consult with early childhood education representatives on the district-level Title I plan.

In addition to strengthening current Title I language on coordination between schools and early childhood programs, the bill requires local educational agencies to enter into a Memorandum of Understanding with Head Start agencies. The MOU requirement for Head Start was required as part of the 2007 reauthorization of the Head Start Act.

Title II funds can be used by districts for joint professional development between teachers and schools in early childhood community-based programs and for professional development of principals.

Promise Neighborhoods grants, a comprehensive approach to child and family well being, is included in the bill.

Includes grants for comprehensive literacy efforts from birth through high school. For the birth-to-five portion, community early childhood programs as well as schools would be able to receive resources to support high quality early literacy strategies and instruction. That part of the state plan would be developed in consultation with the State Early Care & Education Advisory Council. (Early Reading First, Even Start and Reading First have been defunded.)

Title V authorizes Race to the Top and includes early childhood as an area that could be funded. If the Secretary of Education chooses early childhood as one of the priorities, that part will be jointly administered by the U.S. Departments of Health and Human Services and Education. It also includes language on appropriate versus inappropriate use of child assessment. The goal for Race to the Top used for early childhood is the same goal expressed for the Early Learning Challenge grants: more low-income children in high quality programs and an integrated system to support high quality programs and services. It also authorizes the Investing in Innovation grants.

Unfortunately, the bill does not include our recommendation that states review and revise their K-3 standards to address all domains. If adopted, NAEYC believes it would complement the Common Core and would lead to better alignment, more comprehensive curricula and professional development. The recommendation that ready schools need review for elementary schools also did not make it into this version. We will continue to press that these are critical elements to strengthening education through the early grades.

NAEYC Revised Policy Statement on QRIS

NAEYC has had a policy statement on what makes an effective state quality rating and improvement system. We have revised the statement with new language that sets forth a vision for creating high-functioning QRIS that are also well-integrated into the broader state early childhood education system. The NAEYC Governing Board-approved statement is available here.

NWLC Releases Report on State Child Care Subsidies

The National Women’s Law Center released its annual report on state child care subsidy policies. They found that families were worse off in 37 states than they were in 2010 under one or more child care assistance policies. Families are not only worse off in 2011 than they were in 2010, but are also worse off than a decade ago. Compare your state with others by clickinghere.

Join Our Children's Champions email list to receive regular updates and action alerts on important child and family issues being considered by Congress and the Administration.